Railway inspection system

ABSTRACT

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a railway inspection system is shown. The system includes: an unmanned self-propelled vehicle, a sensor, a position system and a control system. The unmanned self-propelled vehicle is adapted to travel on a railway track ahead of the train and has a sensor configured to detect an adverse railway condition. The positioning system is configured to determine the position of the self-propelled vehicle. The control system in communication with the sensor and the train; wherein the control system communicates the adverse railway condition to the train.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to a system, and more particularly, to railway inspection system which includes an unmanned self-propelled vehicle, a positioning system and a control system.

BACKGROUND

Generally, railway inspection systems are often limited by human ability to visually and audibly inspect trains to operate on track. For example, visual inspection may occur when an operator transverses railway track on foot or manually operates the lead locomotive in a train. Although visual inspections are currently governed by Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations, as set forth in Part 213 of 49 CFR, it may not allow the operator to detect minor track defects before the lead locomotive travels over the defective track. It also relegates the lead locomotive of a train to travel at a very slow speed (e.g., not more than five miles per hour when passing over track crossings, highway crossing and switches), for a limited track distance (e.g., 5 miles of track per day) and with variation in class of track and rail usage. The use of this visual inspection system may become further complicated when the track is exposed to additional factors such as corrosion, rust, extreme weather and locomotive operating conditions during the course of travel. Additionally, cracks in the rail, loose spikes, defective ties, weed or growth near the tracks, brush or other growth blocking signals, and weakness in ballasts may further contribute to defects of railway conditions. Also, an operator may hear what he or she believes to be an unusual noise, which may indicate a problem with railway track structure. Additionally, ultrasonic and magnetic testers may also be used for internal track defect inspections. Thus, track defects, as well as obstacles on or near the track may become difficult to for an operator of a locomotive in a train to visually and/or audibly ascertain, in order to detect and avoid, thus potentially minimizing damage to the track, track infrastructure and possibly the train.

Railway track inspection may require the need for a more advanced inspection system than may be provided by an operator visually inspecting the track during the operation of a locomotive of a train. Ease of use of the system is also needed so that defective track or obstructions detected may be easily inspected or monitored before the train transverses the defective track or obstruction.

One railway track inspection system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,508 by Cooper, et al. (“Cooper”). Cooper discloses a pilot vehicle that includes a sensor array, a television camera, an infrared camera and an on-board computer. The sensor array measures a variety of different parameters such the presence of noxious gases, moisture in the atmosphere or ground level and breakage in one or both rails of track. The television camera provides a visual image of the railway track ahead of the pilot vehicle to the operation of the train. The infrared camera mounted on the front of the pilot vehicle generates an infrared image of the tracks and may be used during night or severe weather conditions to monitor the tracks for unsafe conditions. It may also be used to detect animals or humans by body radiation. The information received by the pilot vehicle's sensor array may be transmitted to the pilot vehicles' onboard computer, where the operator is made aware of existing track conditions ahead, in order to enable the train's operator to have sufficient time to take remedial actions or avoid potential defective conditions on the railway tracks.

While the pilot vehicle of Cooper may be capable of monitoring and recording defective railway track condition by video, it may not be remotely controlled by the train nor does it provide information regarding audio defects in track conditions. Moreover, this system does not provide information regarding visual or audio defects that could be remotely controlled to a back office location. Thus, some form of wireless communication means, such as satellite, Wi-Fi, cellular phone or radio is needed for the pilot vehicle to communicate with the back office.

The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more problems set forth above and/or problems of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

In one aspect of the present disclosure, a railway inspection system is disclosed. The railway inspection system for a train includes an unmanned self-propelled vehicle adapted to travel on a railway track ahead of the train and having: a sensor configured to detect an adverse railway condition. The railway inspection system also includes a positioning system configured to determine a position of the unmanned self-propelled vehicle. Further, the railway inspection system includes a control system in communication with the sensor and the train; wherein the control system communicates the adverse railway condition to the train.

Other features and aspects of this disclosure will be apparent form the following description and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a railway inspection system, showing a self-propelled vehicle at a predetermined safe distance ahead of train used for a railway inspection system, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure; and

FIG. 2 is a block level illustration of the self-propelled vehicle, for a railway track inspection system, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a railway inspection system 100 for a train 102. The railway inspection system 100 includes an unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104, a sensor 108, a positioning system 112 and a controller 116. The unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104 is adapted to travel on a railway track 106 ahead of the train 102. The unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104 may be powered by a drive means 125, fueled by diesel fuel, battery or the like. The unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104 may also be powered by an independent propulsion system (not shown) that may be remotely controlled by the train. Alternatively, the unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104 may be remotely controlled by a back office 109. The sensor 108 is configured to detect an adverse railway condition 110. The sensor 108 may be designed for detecting a condition of the railway track 106, such as washed out or a breakage of rail of the railway track 106. The sensor 108 may be a magnetic, ultrasonic, sonic or other type of detector. The sensor 108 may be mounted on the underside of the front of the self-propelled vehicle 104. The sensor 108 may be located in close proximity with a pair of rails (not shown) and may be used to sense a magnetic field generated by a current flowing through a least one of the pair of rails of the railway track 106. The sensor 108 may also be capable of generating an electrical signal proportional to an intensity of the magnetic field. The sensor 108 may also be capable of measuring a variety of parameters, such as a break in one or both rails. The information gathered by the sensor 108 may be supplied to a controller 116 on-board the unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104 and transmitted back the train 102 to enable the train's operator to be apprised of conditions existing on the railway track 106 ahead of the train 102. Moreover, a television camera 144 or infrared camera 130 coupled to the sensor 108 may provide a visual representation of the railway track 106 ahead of the self-propelled vehicle 104 to the operation of the train 102. The infrared camera 130 mounted on the front of the self-propelled vehicle 104 may be used to generate an infrared representation of the railway track 106 and may be used during night or severe weather conditions to monitor the railway track 106 for unsafe conditions or for animals or humans from the emission of their body heat. The information received by the self-propelled vehicle's sensor 108 may be transmitted to the self-propelled vehicles' controller 116, where the operator in the self-propelled vehicle 104 is apprised of existing railway track 106 in order to enable the train's operator to have sufficient time to take remedial actions or avoid a potential adverse railway condition 110 on the railway track 106.

The positioning system 112 is configured to determine a position 114 of the unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104. A positioning system 112 may consist of position indicators 115 disposed along the railway track 106 that transmit position information 118 about the location of the train 102 equipped with the at least one antenna 138 (e.g., transmitter) to a satellite 143 (e.g., receiver) to permit the satellite 143 to correlate measured information with expected information.

The controller 116 is in communication with the sensor 108 and the train 102 whereby the controller 116 communicates the adverse railway condition 110 to the train 102. The controller 116 may consist of a single processor or multiple processors. The controller 116 may be configured to receive information: wayside information (e.g., an obstruction on the railway track 104, location of the unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104, speed of the unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104 and distance from the unmanned self-propelled 104 via a control signal 120. For instance, position information 118 is received by the train 102 via the control signal 120 that determine a predetermined safe distance 122 the self-propelled vehicle 104 to be disposed from the train 102. Additionally, the controller 116 may be configured to include a processor 124 (not shown) coupled with a drive controller 126. The controller 116 may be located within the self-propelled vehicle 104 and configured to receive position 114 and control signal 120 from the train 102 to determine the predetermined safe distance 122 to be disposed away from the train 102. The processor 124 is also capable of receiving a first electrical signal 136 that may consist of a controller 116 to generate a warning message 133, whenever the voltage level of the first electrical signal 136 fall below a predetermined threshold level.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

An example of the railway inspection systems that railroads may use for determining defective railway track conditions is disclosed. However, inspection of track defects may become difficult for an operator of a train to visually and/or audibly ascertain. As such, there is also the possibility of risk of damage to the track and train and detection of track railway defects tends to be difficult. Additionally, cracks in the rail, loose spikes, defective ties, weed or growth near the tracks, brush or other growth blocking signals, and weakness in ballasts may further contribute to defects of railway conditions. Thus, information received by the self-propelled vehicle's sensor may be used to transmit through the vehicles' onboard computer, where the operator is apprised of existing track conditions ahead in order to enable the train's operator to have sufficient time to take remedial actions or avoid potential defective conditions on the railway tracks.

FIG. 3 is a block level illustration of the railway inspection system 100, according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, the unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104 is propelled by a drive means 125 along a railway track 106 (not shown) (not shown). The unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104 has a processor 124 that is configured to receive a position information 118 and a control signal 120 transmitted by a train 102 to calculate that the unmanned self-propelled vehicle 104 is positioned to be located at a predetermined safe distance 122 ahead of the train 102. A drive controller 126 is operatively connected to the processor 124 and the drive means 125 to maintain a self-propelled vehicle 104 at the predetermined safe distance 122 ahead of the train 102. A television camera 144 is mounted at a front end of the self-propelled vehicle 104, to inspect and monitor a visual scene 146, as the self-propelled vehicle travels along the railway track 106 and generates a video signal 148 representative of the visual scene 146 presented to the self-propelled vehicle 104, as the self-propelled vehicle 104 travels along the railway track 106 (not shown). A transmitter/receiver 142 is connected to the television camera 144 to receive the video signal 148 from the television camera 144, wherein the transmitter/receiver 142 includes a modulator 140 to amplify a first radio frequency signal 134 responsive to the video signal 148 and an at least one antenna 138 for transmitting the first radio frequency signal 134 to the train 102. A magnetic sensor 128 mounted underneath the self-propelled vehicle 104 in proximity with a pair of rails 150 (not shown) of the railway track 106 to generate a first electrical signal 136 proportional to an intensity of the magnetic field 151. An infrared camera 130 is mounted on the front end of the self-propelled vehicle 104 to monitor the infrared scene 147 presented to self-propelled vehicle 104, while it travels along the railway track 106, the infrared camera 130 generating a second electrical signal 152 representative of the infrared scene 147 presented to the self-propelled vehicle 104, as the self-propelled vehicle 104 travels along the railway track 106. A self-propelled vehicle 104 equipped with a rail testing apparatus 154 for self-propelled vehicle 104 equipped with the rail testing apparatus 154 for producing data indicative of rail conditions 156.

Although the embodiments of this disclosure as described herein may be incorporated without departing from the scope of the following claims, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made. Other embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope being indicated by the following claims and their equivalents. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A railway inspection system for a train comprising: an unmanned self-propelled vehicle adapted to travel on a railway track ahead of the train and having: a sensor configured to detect an adverse railway condition, and; a positioning system configured to determine a position of the unmanned self-propelled vehicle; a control system in communication with the sensor and the train; wherein the control system communicates the adverse railway condition to the train. 